The New and Updated Port Orleans Riverside FAQ Thread for 2008 --- NOW CLOSED

[sarbah77]

Okay...thanks to all you helpful dis folks and Andre's fabulous site, I am now booked at POR for 1/4-1/10! It looks just beautiful and I am excited to check out a new resort. Sis and BIL have requested Mansions, and I've requested a AB room, but given that I'm a single, not sure I'll get it, since it seems that this is a marathon resort??

No matter!

A couple of questions:

1) Do the carriage rides need to be booked in advance?

2) How's Magical Express to this resort? Do they stop multiple other places first?

3) How much will I love this place????

ALL resorts are marathon resorts!! The place was INSANE. Plus, for the marathon pick-up, the buses made the usual WDW transportation loop, and then a billion buses headed to Epcot.

2) In my 3 stays, twice they've stopped at other places. Old Key West, Saratoga Springs, then French Quarter. The other time (the marathon stay), they stopped at POR first, but that was probably due to road closures.

3) I've never found a reason to stay anywhere else!! Have a great trip!!

 

[Yarna]

our 2nd trip to POR coming up in november (1-7)

We'll be there the same week, Oct 31 - Nov 8!!

 

[bolgers love wdw]

We just booked our May vacation using the AP PIN code that we got a few days ago. We decided to return to POR after our fabulous stay there last month!!!! We fell in love with it!!
Cannot wait to return and enjoy it again!!! We are going to be there May 8-16!!!

 

[Megsmachine]

Dh and I just booked our very first onsite stay at POR for January 6-13!!!! (we did stay with family at SSR in 2006 with family but this is a first for our little family)

We decided we are not going to tell our kids.

We are going to be visiting family over the holidays and we end our family visiting in NC. We are going to get in the car and the kids will think we are heading back to IN (home). We can't wait to see their faces when we pull up at Walt Disney World!!!


Ok, so now I have a question: I never realized that I should have made my requests online when booking. We are a family of 5 so I am assuming we will be in AB but I would really like to be in the building 14 area. How do I go about requesting that? How hard do you think it will be to get that area? I of course would love building 14 but it doesn't have to be that one, just that cluster of buildings.

TIA!!

 

[onelugnut]

I dont think you can get a requested room,

but if its possible, what is a good room to request in the riverside
alligator bayou area?

last time, we didnt specify and got the last room in the resort.

which was good and bad i guess,
good because it was close to the last bus stop,
but bad because it was a long walk to pool or food.

anyone got any opinions on where is the best?

by the way, its wife and me, with 3 kids 11, 8, and 5
and we have no problem with walking, we are all runners.
just wondering if we should ask for a specific area for convenience.

maybe if we get closer, i might catch Bob at the piano!

 

[webstah]

Dh and I just booked our very first onsite stay at POR for January 6-13!!!! (we did stay with family at SSR in 2006 with family but this is a first for our little family)

We decided we are not going to tell our kids.

We are going to be visiting family over the holidays and we end our family visiting in NC. We are going to get in the car and the kids will think we are heading back to IN (home). We can't wait to see their faces when we pull up at Walt Disney World!!!


Ok, so now I have a question: I never realized that I should have made my requests online when booking. We are a family of 5 so I am assuming we will be in AB but I would really like to be in the building 14 area. How do I go about requesting that? How hard do you think it will be to get that area? I of course would love building 14 but it doesn't have to be that one, just that cluster of buildings.

TIA!!

Building 14 is actrually sort of on it's own. Buildings in that area include 18, and 27 (you can hit building 14 and the main building from either of those) building 16, and 17 share the same quiet pool and laundry, but are further behind, as is building 14.
See the map here
http://www.wdwinfo.com/maps/PortOrleansMap.pdf

 

[Megsmachine]

Thanks so much Webstah!!

 

[duffy]

Something I got to wondering:

If I mail myself a package down to arrive at POR when we get there, how will I manage to send it back when we're ready to go home? Do I just take it to the front desk? Thanks!

 

[CLR4321]

You can have the package shipped home from the resort.

 

[SheenaXena21]

Something I got to wondering:

If I mail myself a package down to arrive at POR when we get there, how will I manage to send it back when we're ready to go home? Do I just take it to the front desk? Thanks!

Your signature is h-i-larious!!!!!!!!!!

Anyway... I read on other threads that you should use FedEx or UPS to send packages. Because USPS packages go to some kind of place (sorry, I'm having a brain fart), a processing center, that can take an extra day, maybe two, then get sent to your resort. UPS and FedEx get sent straight to the resort.

To send it back.... go to concierge and they will send it through by FedEx or UPS.

We're sending a package down for the first time too. Hope everything works out for us both!!!

 

[duffy]

Thanks!

I thought that only the deluxe hotels had a concierge, so it's good to know that POR does too.

 

[LOVEMY3KIDDOS]

OK...here's my question...
We are on the Deluxe Dining Plan...can we use meal credits in the River Roost Lounge to get apps? We are going to hang out there for a bit on our first full night and wanted to maybe just get some apps. We were going to try Boatwright's, but I read so many negative reviews that we are thinking against it. So, if anyone knows if the dining plan can be used in the lounge, please let me know!

Thanks so much!

 

[creativeamanda]

OK...here's my question...
We are on the Deluxe Dining Plan...can we use meal credits in the River Roost Lounge to get apps? We are going to hang out there for a bit on our first full night and wanted to maybe just get some apps. We were going to try Boatwright's, but I read so many negative reviews that we are thinking against it. So, if anyone knows if the dining plan can be used in the lounge, please let me know!

Thanks so much!

No--River Roost is not on the Dining Plan at all. Sorry, hon.

ETA--Have you looked at Raglan Road or some other Downtown Disney restaurant?

 

[sarbah77]

OK...here's my question...
We are on the Deluxe Dining Plan...can we use meal credits in the River Roost Lounge to get apps? We are going to hang out there for a bit on our first full night and wanted to maybe just get some apps. We were going to try Boatwright's, but I read so many negative reviews that we are thinking against it. So, if anyone knows if the dining plan can be used in the lounge, please let me know!

Thanks so much!

I loved Boatwright's! I'd pick it over Raglan Road, but that might be because our server at Boatwright's was better. And the food at Raglan Road was unimaginative, for being billed as an Irish Pub. (Or maybe because I like pub foods, it wasn't anything new!)

 

[LOVEMY3KIDDOS]

No--River Roost is not on the Dining Plan at all. Sorry, hon.

ETA--Have you looked at Raglan Road or some other Downtown Disney restaurant?

HaHa!! You found me here too, huh?! I should have known I could have just asked you directly on either of our PTR's! We are going to Raglan Road later on in the trip and have a late lunch at Puck that day. So, I think we will just get some apps and pay oop. Thanks though! DH wants to just stay at the resort that night since it's an early morning and we get in late the night before.

I loved Boatwright's! I'd pick it over Raglan Road, but that might be because our server at Boatwright's was better. And the food at Raglan Road was unimaginative, for being billed as an Irish Pub. (Or maybe because I like pub foods, it wasn't anything new!)

Hmmm...so many people have given negative feedback that I am nervous. You like it though? What did you get?

 

[andrewilley]

We were going to try Boatwright's, but I read so many negative reviews that we are thinking against it.

I must confess that I hadn't eaten there for about ten years (I know, I know - but there are so many other places we love!). However this August we met up with another family there for a meal and really enjoyed it. We should have done it a long time back in hindsight. My DW has insisted that we book again for our February trip, so I hope it's as good again then.

It's not fancy food, but very tasty and nicely cooked and presented. DW had the Jambalaya which she really enjoyed, while I had the Filet Mignon with three-cheese mash which also came with Asparagus. Wasn't sure I'd like the accompanying Crawfish Hollandaise sauce (being a fairly plain eater) so I asked for an alternative Cabernet Sauce from another item and they brought me both with my steak, each in a little dish so I could try. They were also very happy to to a simple chicken strips & fries meal for an older teen who is an even plainer eater than me.

Andre

 

[LOVEMY3KIDDOS]

I must confess that I hadn't eaten there for about ten years (I know, I know - but there are so many other places we love!). However this August we met up with another family there for a meal and really enjoyed it. We should have done it a long time back in hindsight. My DW has insisted that we book again for our February trip, so I hope it's as good again then.

It's not fancy food, but very tasty and nicely cooked and presented. DW had the Jambalaya which she really enjoyed, while I had the Filet Mignon with three-cheese mash which also came with Asparagus. Wasn't sure I'd like the accompanying Crawfish Hollandaise sauce (being a fairly plain eater) so I asked for an alternative Cabernet Sauce from another item and they brought me both with my steak, each in a little dish so I could try. They were also very happy to to a simple chicken strips & fries meal for an older teen who is an even plainer eater than me.

Andre

See now your review makes me want to try it. I don't know what to do?? I have to really think about this.

 

[aubriee]

OK...here's my question...
We are on the Deluxe Dining Plan... We were going to try Boatwright's, but I read so many negative reviews that we are thinking against it.

Thanks so much!

I ate at Boatwrights with my husband and mom Sept '08. It was very good. We were on the DxDDP and got smoothies for our beverages, crawfish cakes and spinach salad for appetizers, grilled pork chop and filet mignon with Hollandaise sauce for entrees, and hot apple pie with ice cream and pecan pie for desserts. The only thing I didn't like was the pecan pie my husband got. It looked like it was made with dark karo syrup instead of light that I'm used to. My husband said it was OK, but he really liked my pecan pie better.

 

[andrewilley]

My husband said it was OK, but he really liked my pecan pie better.

LOL, well he'd have to, wouldn't he.

I forgot about the smoothies, I had one of those too and it was very nice. I asked for mango and orange I think.

Andre

 

[pianoronni37]

DH and I are booked for POR for our January trip! We were originally booked for AKL but since the pool is under rehab, we decided to save some money and go with a MOD - and this is the MOD that DH picked because he said it looked romantic and he wants to take me on a carriage ride..

I'm very excited about our choice, and unless something happens, we will NOT be switching (since I've switched 4 times from the start of our booking! ).

Thank you for the informational thread, it makes this resort look gorgeous!